Dietary Fat, Fat Metabolizing Genes, and Prostate Cancer Risk in African-Americans and Whites

摘要

Dietary fat has been implicated as a potential promotional factor leading to progression of small, latent, non-metastatic prostate tumors to invasive, metastatic lesions. One possible mechanism is conversion of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids to inflammatory compounds produced by the lipoxygenase (LOX) family of enzymes. The authors are examining whether genetic variants in the n-6 fatty acid LOX pathways are associated with the risk of prostate cancer in a population-based, case-control study of advanced prostate cancer among African-Americans and whites in Los Angeles County. In the first two years of the study, they genotyped five LOX gene polymorphisms, including 12-LOX Gln261Arg and Ser322Asn, 15-LOX-2 Gln656Arg, 5-LOX Lys254Glu, and the 5- LOX promoter Sp1 motif polymorphism. Preliminary analyses indicate that the 12- LOX gene Gln261Arg polymorphism may be related to prostate cancer risk in both African-Americans and whites. In the third year, they will investigate whether genetic variation in specific LOX pathways, in combination with diet, contributes to prostate cancer risk. The findings could provide a scientific foundation upon which to design dietary intervention trials and may allow them to design strategies for reducing the disparity in prostate cancer burden between African-Americans and other ethnic groups.